Bipartisan Bill Targets China’s Access to U.S. Semiconductor Technology
MATCH Act aims to tighten export controls amid AI and national security concerns.
WASHINGTON, April 15, 2026 – House and Senate lawmakers have introduced legislation aimed at tightening U.S. export controls on semiconductor technology, seeking to curb China’s access to critical tools used to develop advanced chips.
The proposed MATCH Act would restrict the sale of key chipmaking equipment, including deep ultraviolet lithography systems and advanced etching tools, to China and other countries of concern, while also expanding U.S. authority over foreign-produced items that rely on American technology.
Supporters say the bill is designed to close loopholes that have allowed Chinese firms to continue acquiring sensitive equipment despite existing restrictions.
“As the chairman of the House subcommittee overseeing export controls, I’ve seen how China is exploiting access to American and allies’ chipmaking equipment to modernize its military and pursue global AI dominance,” said Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Mich. “The bipartisan MATCH Act advances the security, economic prosperity and technological leadership of the United States.”
The legislation has drawn support from lawmakers in both parties, including Reps. Rich McCormick, R-Ga., and Maggie Goodlander, D-N.H., as well as Sens. Pete Ricketts, R‑Neb., and Andy Kim, D‑N.J. who introduced companion legislation in the Senate on April 8.
“America, not China, should lead the world in AI,” Goodlander said. “Our bipartisan MATCH Act is about closing dangerous loopholes that China is exploiting and standing shoulder to shoulder with our allies.”
The bill would shift export controls away from a system focused primarily on individual fabrication plants to a broader framework that also considers companies and their affiliations.
Lawmakers say that change could prevent ChangXin Memory Technologies, Hua Hong, Huawei, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp, and Yangtze Memory Technologies Corp., from acquiring equipment for older facilities and later redeploying it to more advanced operations.
It would also require U.S. allies to adopt similar restrictions within 150 days or face unilateral U.S. action under the Foreign Direct Product Rule, which extends American export controls to certain foreign-made goods that incorporate U.S. technology.
Advocates argue the measure is needed to preserve a key U.S. advantage in the semiconductor and AI industry.
“The MATCH Act is critical to protecting U.S. and allied dominance in advanced chipmaking,” said Chris McGuire of the Council on Foreign Relations, citing what he described as widespread efforts by China to exploit gaps in existing controls.
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